This is a beautiful painting of a storm with cumulonimbus/anvil cloud that comes with a lightning storm. It looks like the desert in Spring and the two tallest mesas are being struck. There is an uncanny resemblance to twin towers? I think we live in times where the association is hard to avoid. The birds are flying above the storm where the sun still shines, unaffected by its violence.

The majority of the card is the airspace – the element of air is made visible by the water in the clouds. That said, many of these lightning storms pass without producing rain and not a few wildfires have begun here in Oklahoma because of that kind of storm this Spring. The shadows here indicate rain to me, however, so perhaps the fires of the previous card are being cooled. Both the lightning fire and the rain both delivered by the air.

The danger is at a distance and the storm appears to be moving by for now.

Those on the ground need to take cover. Dark birds in the air are ominous.

Card meanings: A warning. Look out for the unexpected. Possibly a downturn followed by an upturn. There may be a period of hardship, but you will overcome it. Look out for unseen enemies. Look for the silver lining. Be optimistic. Know who your true friends are: now is the time to seek them out.

My impressions of the 4 of Swords may have been off the mark. What I saw at the bottom of the cards was a distant city or factory, with 2 smokestacks emitting something into the air. The darker area I viewed as pollution or smog. Relating this to the mind and communication, I thought about how we can allow our thoughts to be polluted, or how toxic words and thoughts can pollute the environment around us--our relationships with others, etc. I relate this card to the standard meaning of the 4 of Swords by noting that the action appears to be very far away. This could depict stepping away from the situation, giving yourself some distance in order to see the big picture and recover from being in or contributing to a harmful environment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bat Chicken

There is an uncanny resemblance to twin towers? I think we live in times where the association is hard to avoid.

I noticed that too. I was also a little confused reading the book, for example when she says, "he strikes upon the Temple of the Horizon....the two open legs of the High Priestess." (Landscapes of the Abyss, p. 93) The legs of the HP are closed, but I do see the same two towers to the bottom right in the HP card. Maybe I'm being too literal.

I am just starting to read with this beautiful deck, and this morning I picked this card. I like the imagery, but the text in the companion book....well, I don't understand it and I don't see the relation with the image....

My impressions of the 4 of Swords may have been off the mark. What I saw at the bottom of the cards was a distant city or factory, with 2 smokestacks emitting something into the air. The darker area I viewed as pollution or smog. Relating this to the mind and communication, I thought about how we can allow our thoughts to be polluted, or how toxic words and thoughts can pollute the environment around us--our relationships with others, etc. I relate this card to the standard meaning of the 4 of Swords by noting that the action appears to be very far away. This could depict stepping away from the situation, giving yourself some distance in order to see the big picture and recover from being in or contributing to a harmful environment.

I really like this interpretation, thank you, now i see the picture more clear for myself. It's my card of the day and had it really difficult to connect with this one, a lot of resistance (especially the factories). Now i've read all of the interpretations of everyone in the previous replies, i can have peace with it :p Thank you all

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